The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has issued guidance regarding college athlete name, image and likeness compensation, putting the onus on schools to ensure their male and female athletes receive proportionate NIL opportunities and resources — regardless of whether the funding comes from external sources, Sportico reported last Thursday.
In a nine-page “fact sheet” released Thursday, OCR clarified that, under Title IX, NIL money paid to college athletes should be held to the same gender-equity standards as athletic scholarships. Specifically, it stated that the amounts paid to athletes through NIL deals should be considered part of a school’s athletic financial assistance, just as grants-in-aid and cost-of-attendance funds are.
Name, image and likeness deals are changing the face of college and amateur golf, as GGP reported in a series of stories published in November. READ MORE
In a story on the state of golf media published last Monday, Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter reported on what might lie ahead for Golf Channel following parent company Comcast’s November announcement that it would spin it off from NBCUniversal along with six other cable networks that are part of newly created entity SpinCo.
Despite negative speculation about the future of those networks in the wake of the announcement, the story cited SpinCo CEO Mark Lazarus characterizing Golf Channel’s future as anything but bleak and asserting that there have been no discussions with the PGA Tour or others about buying Golf Channel. READ MORE
Participation at green-grass golf facilities in the United States increased for the seventh consecutive year, topping 28 million in 2024, a net increase of approximately 1.5 million golfers, the National Golf Foundation reported last Friday.
Total golf participation (those who play on- and off-course with a real ball, real club and full swing) climbed to 47.2 million in the U.S., a 5 percent gain versus 2023, the report said. READ MORE
The National Links Trust Championship, a tournament for male and female public-access golfers 25 and older to be staged Oct. 24-26 in Washington, D.C., has expanded to 54 holes of stroke play, making it eligible for World Amateur Golf Rankings points. The Blue Course at East Potomac Golf Links, a 1923 Walter Travis design, will host the tournament. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
Ben Polland, Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth and Jason Caron won their respective 2024 PGA Professional, Women’s PGA Professional and Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year Awards presented by Rolex. READ MORE
St Andrews Links Trust is in advanced discussions to take over a long-term lease of the Duke’s golf course from the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, owned by U.S.-based Kohler. READ MORE
The LPGA named Mary Salter its chief financial officer and treasurer. Salter joined the LPGA in 2017 and most recently served as executive vice president of finance. READ MORE
NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, has been selected to host the 2027 Junior PGA Championships. READ MORE
The golf industry gathers this week in Orlando, Florida, for the annual PGA Merchandise Show, the global business trade show. READ MORE
The 125-year-old New Jersey State Golf Association has rebranded itself New Jersey Golf. READ MORE
PGA Jr. League registration is now open at facilities across the country. Families can find a local program and register at PGAJrLeague.com. READ MORE
Jeff Harmet, a longtime golf industry executive who was president of Cobra Golf and Titleist’s golf club division, died Jan. 11 after a 15-year battle with kidney cancer. He was 65. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity